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In this episode of the US City Traveler Podcast, you get to meet Gary Bembridge from Tips For Travellers, which has received over 26 million YouTube views and over 650,000 podcast downloads. He is the author of The Cruise Traveler’s Handbook, Cruising With Cunard, Cruising on Norwegian Epic, and Cruising on Holland America. Gary has been a speaker at TBEX North America and the New Media Expo in Las Vegas and he has worked with the Four Seasons, DK Eyewitness Guides, and Norwegian Cruise Line, among a number of others. He has also traveled every month of every year for 25 years and he has been on about 20 cruises and today he’s going to share everything there is to know about taking a cruise. Whether you’re just planning that first cruise trip, or planning your thousandth, this episode is sure to have something to make your next cruise vacation your best yet!

More specifically, in this session you’ll find out about: 

• Learn why Gary believes that cruising is better than land based vacations!
• Learn about some of the best destinations to cruise from, from the US.
• get in the know about some good off-board activities or attractions that are well worth seeing or doing.
• Learn which cruise lines are best for which types of people!
• Discover the benefits of going on the Disney cruise line, compared to Royal Caribbean.
• See what advice Gary has for those cruising on the Norwegian Epic.
• Find out about a few of the most innovative cruise ships in existence today!
• Find out whether bigger cruise ships are really better!
• Learn which are best for children, seniors and teenagers, along with some special features that really help them cater to one of these target markets.
• See what advice Gary has for first time cruise goers and how to avoid common mistakes!
• Find out what sorts of situations make it worth it to pay a little bit more to get a room with a window.
• Learn how to get the best fare on your cruise rate.
• Learn what you should pack and why it’s extremely important to do your homework for stuffing the suitcase.
• Find out how to deal with seasickness!
• Learn about how accommodating some lines are for solo travelers. This might really surprise you!
• Plus, so much more!

Resources and Links Mentioned in this Session Include:

• Cunard Queen May 2 (from the US to Europe)
• Cunard (perfect for traditionalists; seniors), Celebrity or Holland America (less formal; Holland is recommended especially for seniors).
• Silversea or Seabourn (much smaller ships, also tend to be much more expensive).
• Disney Cruise Line, Carnival, MSC (best for teens/kids)
• Cruise Critic
• Norweigan Epic, The Getaway
• Royal Caribbean (ice skating ,water shows, competitions, best for interactive people).
• See if your liner offers behind the scenes tours! Also check out our article on the Top 10 Behind the Scenes Tours in America!
• Stay away from: if you hate smoking then don’t go on a Costa cruise.
• First time cruisers: work with a cruise agent! See Gary’s article on 11 Common Cruise Mistakes To Avoid. Also check out Gary’s 16 Top Tips for First Time Cruisers.
• Caribbean Cruising: Get Gary’s advice on What to Expect When Cruising the Caribbean, which provides a general overview and some advice. He also has an article on the 6 Ultimate Tips for Anyone Cruising The Caribbean.
• Buy motion sickness tablets before you go!
• Be sure to sign up for their promotional newsletters.
• Most unique onboard restaurants: Teppanyaki on the Norwegian Epic.
• See Wikipedia’s list of the world’s largest cruise ships.
• Coming Soon: Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas in New Jersey is set to launch in November 2014 and include simulated skydiving, roller skating, bumper cars, and a Ferris wheel-inspired capsule called North Star.
• Royal Caribbean has a history of introducing new concepts on cruise ships; in past years, those have included a simulated surfing machine, zip line, ice-skating rink and rock-climbing wall.
• There’s a few more cool concepts in this article on: 7 things you didn’t know you could do on a cruise.
• Norwegian Cruise Line introduced “virtual balconies” in 2010, displaying live outdoor views into their rooms. Disney added virtual portholes to the Disney Dream in 2011 and they continue to become a system-wide feature.
•  Royal Princess offers a 17-deck-high glass-bottoned SeaWalk.
• The Cruise Traveler’s Handbook

Gary was incredibly gracious with sharing his knowledge with us! Thank you, Gary, for your advice! If you have a few seconds, let me and Gary know on Twitter by clicking on the link below:

Click here to let me and Gary know!

Leave Me a Voicemail!

Every once and a while, I’ll be recording podcast episodes that are completely made up of questions asked by you, so if you have any questions you’d like potentially answered on the show, simply record a voicemail here.

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And lastly, if you haven’t done so already I would love if you took a minute to leave a quick rating and review of the podcast on iTunes by clicking on the link below! It would be extremely helpful for the show. Thank you in advance!

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Thank you for listening! I hope you enjoyed this episode of the US City Traveler Podcast and will start planning your next cruise! Check us out for more great cruise tips! Please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. Cheers!

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